Let the port process play out

December 28, 2012

Florida Gov. Rick Scott wants President Obama to quash a crippling dockworkers' strike before it begins. The governor's concern may be spot on, but the federal government should not prematurely and publicly inject itself into contract negotiations, especially as the two sides try to work things out.

Contracts still count for something, and the good news is that the International Longshoremen's Association and the U.S. Marine Alliance, the organization of port operators and shipping companies that relies on union workers to move cargo at 14 East and Gulf Coast ports, are still talking.

The key sticking point is "container royalties," the payments made to union workers based on the weight of the cargo containers they move. The alliance wants these bonuses capped at 2011 levels for current employees and ended for future employees. But the union is holding firm, having secured the bonus in the 1960s as rising automation made it tough to fund workforce benefits.

If an agreement is not reached by Sunday, the union is threatening a walkout of 14,500 dockworkers at ports from Boston to Houston, which would cause a multi-billion dollar economic hit that could send the nation back into recession.

The timing of a strike at our major seaports couldn't come at a worse time. Already, our economy is on tenterhooks, waiting for the president and Congress to negotiate a compromise to the "fiscal cliff" and its promise of higher taxes, dramatic spending cuts and another devastating downgrade of our credit rating.

A dock strike that would disrupt the flow of goods and commerce won't help.

To avert the crippling impacts of a strike, the governor on Monday called for the president to invoke the powers of the Taft-Hartley Act, and protect the public from a labor dispute that would "imperil the national health or safety."

On Thursday, he called a press conference to underscore his concerns.

Given the high stakes, the governor's fears are understandable. Still, his posturing strikes us as grandstanding. Better that we let the federal mediators do their work without a daily dose of press releases or press conferences.

And let's be honest. The president might be more accepting of the governor's counsel if he hadn't been so strident in rejecting $2 billion to build the nation's first high-speed rail line and in dismissing virtually all aspects of the nation's healthcare reform act.

It hurts Florida that our governor has such a terrible relationship with the White House. In turbulent times, we need our leaders to talk to one another, even if they disagree on the issues. And in navigating political relationships, the governor should learn that grabbing a microphone isn't always the best way to be heard.

Truth be told, the president will look weak if he allows a strike to shut down our ports. He benefited from labor support during his successful re-election bid. To do what's right for the country, he, too, must rise above the politics of the day.

But better than a quick and controversial Taft-Hartley fix, a new contract would best serve the nation. And until the two sides reach an impasse, there's no need for government intervention.